Victim finds police ‘protecting rapists’

SAHIWAL, March 2: A 13-year-old girl allegedly raped by six people has approached the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan for help as police have failed to arrest the accused.

Shama Bibi (not real name), of 127/15-L, Mian Chunnu, alleged six people raped her but police did not arrest any of the accused but pressured her parents not to peruse the case.

Her family says the dispute started when Saeed Ahmed (Shama’s father) bought four acres in 127/15-L and shifted his family from Kamalia to the new place. Muhammad Saleem and Hafiz Imran, of the village, were also interested in the land. They threaten Saeed and his family to vacate the land but he refused. On Nov 6, 2007, Imran and Saleem along with four others kidnapped Shama. Later, Imran produced Shama to the additional sessions court judge in Mian Chunnu on Nov 10, 2007, wherein she stated that her family wanted to marry her with an old man against her will. She left her parents and now wanted to go to Darul Aman. The court ordered police to shift her to Darul Aman in Khanewal.

Later, Shama family moved the additional sessions court on Nov 16 and asked for a medical examination of Shama.

The medical report confirmed that she had been raped. The judge ordered lodging of a first information report in Saddar police, Mian Chunnu, against six people on Nov 21, 2007. Those nominated in the case were: Imran, Muhammad Akram Tipu, Saleem, Atta Muhammad, Imran Kouchi and Muhammad Awais. Imran is also linked with defunct Anjuman Sipah-i-Sahaba. But all accused got pre-arrest interim bail on Dec 21. Later, the court rejected their bail on Dec 26, 2007, but all accused run away from the court. After that, police never arrested them.

“Police do not want to arrest the culprits because they are influential people. They visit the village and threaten Shama family of consequences,” Amir Aziz, chairman of Zakat and Ushr Committee of the village, said.

“They are pressuring us to take money and withdraw the case. How we compromise on our honour?” Shama’s mother said. Idrees, investigation officer of Saddar police, said they could not arrest the accused because they had no information about their whereabouts.
Source: Dawn
Date:3/3/2008